Political " Do-Not-Call" List Bill Advances

A bill creating a political “Do Not Call” list continues advancing as the House Elections committee passes it Monday. The bill’s sponsor, Senator John Kavanagh, says the bill enables voters to get on a “Do Not Call” list targeting only state campaign robo-calls.

Under the bill, voters could enter their numbers for the “Do Not Call” list on the Secretary of State’s website, or calling their own numbers into the registry. Campaigns would then consult the established list and note the numbers they would not be allowed to call.

Kavanagh, testifying before the committee says, “there’s a distinction between voter engagement and voter enragement,” the latter receiving campaign calls, which he says, if persistent, may prompt residents to turn against those nagging candidates they’d otherwise vote for.

Kavanagh, a Fountain Hills Republican, says he’s found people actually don’t mind live calls from candidates. But two Democrats voting “no” say the bill contains flaws.